Google review removal for medical practices

GP clinics, specialist rooms and allied health practices receive reviews about everything from wait times to clinical decisions. This page covers how medical practices can approach Google review removal when a review is fake or falsely accuses a practitioner, while respecting patient privacy and Ahpra's rules.

Updated 2026-10-11

How reviews affect medical practices

A medical practice's Google listing is often the first thing a new patient sees, and reviews frequently focus on the front desk as much as the doctor: phone wait times, billing changes, running late. Clinical decisions also generate strong reactions. A doctor who declines to prescribe a medicine, issue a certificate or sign a form may attract a one-star review from someone who feels refused. Those reviews are usually genuine experiences, even when the doctor acted properly.

Typical review problems for medical practices

Reviews from people refused a prescription or certificate, sometimes alleging misconduct that did not occur.
Reviews about the wrong practice, for example a clinic in the same medical centre or with a similar name.
Complaints about billing changes that accuse the practice of fraud.
Reviews naming reception staff and making personal remarks about them.
Reviews from people claiming to have been treated when there is no record of any consultation.
Reviews from former employees or contractors.

What may be challengeable, and what is legitimate patient opinion

Under Google's content policy, reviews may be reported if they are not based on a real experience, come from someone with a conflict of interest, disclose personal information, harass an individual or are off-topic. An accusation stated as fact, such as "Dr X falsified my records", may be defamatory of the named doctor if it is untrue, and might be raised through Google's legal removal route.

On the other hand, a patient who says the doctor seemed dismissive, the wait was 90 minutes, or the fees were unaffordable is offering an opinion on a real visit. Those reviews are lawful. So is a review from someone who was refused a prescription and is unhappy about it, provided they do not invent facts. Removal is neither realistic nor appropriate in those cases.

Evidence to preserve

Screenshots of the review and the reviewer's profile, with dates.
A simple internal check of whether any appointment matches the person or date described, recorded without copying clinical detail.
Rosters showing which practitioner and which reception staff were on duty.
Any correspondence from the reviewer, including threats tied to a review.
Your billing policy and when any change was announced, if fees are in dispute.

Clinical records should stay in the practice. They are not needed for a review assessment. Our evidence guide has more on what is useful.

How the G-DEFENCE process works for medical practices

Submit the review links and a short, non-clinical summary.
We assess each review and give you a straight answer on which may breach Google's rules or the law and which are fair comment.
We lodge complaints through Google's official channels, drafted so they reveal nothing about any patient.
Google decides. We keep you informed and invoice only for reviews removed.

Realistic outcomes

Misplaced reviews and reviews from people who were never patients are generally the clearest cases. Reviews arising from clinical decisions rarely are, and we will say so. Google sets the timetable. Fees apply per removed review; see pricing.

Request an assessment

If your practice has a review you believe is fake or falsely accuses a practitioner, request a free, confidential assessment. We reply within 24 hours.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

A patient we declined to prescribe for called our GP "a drug dealer". Is that removable?

It may be. A refused patient can criticise the decision, but a false allegation of criminal conduct about a named doctor goes beyond opinion. Whether Google acts depends on how the review is framed and the legal basis put to it.

Our clinic shares a building with another practice. Reviews meant for them land on our listing.

Reviews about a different business are not based on an experience with yours. These are often worth reporting, together with evidence showing the reviewer describes the other practice.

Should the practice or the doctor request removal?

Either can raise policy breaches. For defamation, the named doctor holds the claim personally, and corporate practices generally cannot sue unless they qualify as an excluded corporation.

Can we ask patients to leave reviews?

Asking for honest feedback is common, but be careful about then promoting clinical reviews, since Ahpra's testimonial rules apply to advertising. Never offer incentives for reviews.